Comments on Moroni 10

     This chapter is Moroni's farewell to the Lamanites and is
similar in theme to his father's farewell appearing in Mormon 7. 
Moroni openly addresses the Lamanite remnant (v. 1, cp. Mormon
7:1), he hopes God will deliver the record to them (v. 3, cp.
Mormon 7:1), he tells them the record is true  (v. 27-29, cp.
Mormon 7:8), they are natural Israel (v. 31, cp. Mormon 7:2),
they need to repent (v. 30-33, cp. Mormon 7:5), and they need to
believe in Christ (v. 6-7, cp. Mormon 7:5-7).
     In addition to these similarities, Moroni's farewell draws
on his father's comments on faith, hope, and charity appearing in
ch. 7 (cp. v. 20-22 with 7:40-44).

     This chapter is structured as a series of four exhortations
with a introduction (v. 1-2) and summary conclusion (v. 34).  The
first exhortation (v. 3-7) encourages the Lamanites to reflect on
the graciousness of the Lord in dealing with them (v. 3).  He
then tells them to sincerely ask God to manifest the truth of
this record to them by the Holy Spirit (v. 4-5), as well as
manifesting the reality and truth of Jesus Christ (v. 6-7).
     Moroni's second exhortation deals with miracles and
spiritual gifts (v. 8-26).  He tells them not to reject the many
different spiritual gifts of God (v. 8), listing a variety of
these gifts (v. 16), informing them all these good gifts come by
the Spirit of Christ (v. 17-18).  He warns them that if there are
no spiritual gifts among them then it is because of their own
sinfulness and faithlessness (v. 19-25), and he casts woe on them
if this is the case (v. 26).
     The third exhortation is warning that those who receive this
text and reject it will be held responsible for it at Judgement
because Moroni has been writing at the command of the Lord (v. 
27-29).  This statement follows the premise of Ether 12:37-39.
     The fourth and final exhortation (v. 30-33) is to abandon 
Babylon (v. 30, cp. Isa. 52:11) and come to Zion (v. 31, cp. Isa.
52:1-2) by abandoning their sins and accepting Christ's 
sanctifying Atonement (v. 32-33).

v28 "hiss forth", i.e., summon, cp. Isa. 5:26, Isa. 7:18, Zech. 
10:8, 2 Ne. 29:2.

v32-33 can be arranged as an inverted parallelism, as follows:

     Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny
     yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny
     yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your
     might, mind and strength, 

          then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace
          ye may be perfect in Christ; 

               and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in
               Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

               And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect
               in Christ, and deny not his power, 

          then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God,
          through the shedding of the blood of Christ, 

     which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of
     your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.



Copyright © 2001 by S. Kurt Neumiller <kurtn@cybcon.com>.  All rights 
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